By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The second match between South Africa and Italy on Saturday, 12 July (5.10pm) at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha will be broadcast live on SABC 2, SABC radio stations and SuperSport.
Why not the first test match in Pretoria, on the 5th of July?
As it stands, only those with DStv subscriptions and access to SuperSport are able to watch Springbok matches live.
SA rugby, SuperSport, and SABC briefed the media in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Also present was Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, who said it is crucial for rugby games to be televised for the enjoyment of all South Africans.
The deal was made in recognition of the historic nature of the match, which will mark the 30th anniversary of the Springboks’ 1995 World Cup triumph, and forms part of SA Rugby’s nationwide celebration of that iconic moment in South African sport.
“The 1995 triumph was a moment that captured the attention of the world – revealing the unmatched power of sport to bring people together, to heal deep wounds and to inspire a country that was still finding its feet as a young democracy,”said SA Rugby president Mark Alexander.
“As Saru, we are working closely with our broadcasters to ensure that all South Africans can be part of this historic occasion.”
SABC Group CEO Nomsa Chabeli said: “As the public broadcaster, we view it as our mandate and responsibility to bring such defining national moments to every South African.
“Whether in a township, village or city, every citizen should be able to relive the spirit of 1995 – a spirit of hope, unity and excellence. We therefore extend our deepest appreciation to SARU and SuperSport for enabling this collaborative agreement. This partnership is a testament to the power of shared purpose — where commercial imperatives and public interest converge to serve a higher calling: nation-building.”
“We also recognise and celebrate the power of rugby in shaping our national identity. Rugby has brought us together in the most powerful of ways — in 1995, in 2007, in 2019, and again in 2023. And now, in 2025, we honour that enduring legacy.”
SuperSport CEO Rendani Ramovha said: “SuperSport is pleased to be able to contribute to the country’s celebration of 30 years of Springbok excellence since that unforgettable moment in 1995.
“That moment united the whole country and we are honoured to be involved in helping unite the country once more around the Springboks.
“This year also marks 30 years of SuperSport as a stand-alone channel and we are proud to share this milestone with the most successful rugby nation in men’s Rugby World Cup history – the Springboks.”
McKenzie previously said he would “go to war” with the broadcasters if they were unable to reach an agreement to allow all South Africans to watch the country’s national sports teams participating in important matches or events.
“The national team doesn’t belong to MultiChoice or SABC or E-tv. None of them should act like the national team belongs to them,” said McKenzie.
“I’m not going to be an enabler of the majority of our people not being able to watch the national rugby team or soccer team,” he continued.
“There exists legislation — which has never been used — that prevents them from engaging in the current action that they are engaging in. I intend to fully use that legislation,” vowed McKenzie.
Thus far the minister has failed in his promise.
McKenzie was using popular rhetoric to make complex problems look easy and totally ignorant about SABC needing to pay for content.
Fact is, if government wants the SABC to show more live sports events of national importance on free-to-air television, it must first fix the public broadcaster’s dire financial situation or foot the bill for the broadcasting rights.
Dstv monopoly on sports rights exists because MultiChoice and SuperSport are paying for the rights and secure these directly when they come up.
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) reached the only conclusion it could – that sports events on television would continue to be sold to the highest bidder.
The conclusion was reached after Icasa held the public hearings.
The basis of the hearings was Section 60(1) of the Electronic Communications Act which provides that subscription broadcasting services “may not acquire exclusive rights that prevent or hinder the free-to-air broadcasting of national sporting events, as identified in the public interest from time to time.”
Icasa’s attempt to redress what is essentially a free-market concept of selling to the best offer, is that the holder of the rights should “sub-license” their rights to free-to-air broadcasters in the national interest.
But Icasa conceded that it does not have the authority to set price limits on what those sub-licences should cost, which would have to be negotiated between the parties.
Until the early 1990s the SABC monopolised all sports coverage in South Africa until MultiChoice, through its subsidiary SuperSport, effectively bought all the rights to major and minor sports.